Pilot-coupling.



LP. KINNB. PILOT COUPLING.

AfPP'LIOATIONFILED Z9, 1919.

1,009,974.. Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

/f ff linirnn erariali rpalrnn'r erlitten.

l" JEJDMUND n. itlltl'l'n, or entiteiten, onto, ASSIGNOR To AMERICAN STEEL FUNDRIES, on NEVI' YORK, n. if., a CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY.

Specication of Letters Patent.

"atented lllov. 28, 191i.

Application tiled January :29, 1910. Serial No. 540,732.

My :invention relates to couplers oit the- Janney and other types employing a pivot knuckle and a vertically movable lock, and more particularly relates `to such couplers as applied to the pilots of lmioinotives or the enrfl'sills of tenders. ln the use el couplers -ior this purpose it will he understood that a short shank is employed, the shank. being seated in a pocket secured to the end sill oi' the locomotive or tender. ln such instances, `the coupler necessarily has considerableoven hang or, in other Words, extends for some distance outside the plane ol the end sill distinguished from couplers applied lireightfears where the coupler almost `runderlies the end sill. ln the latter ease7 the lock.- lifting mechanism may loe applied to theend sill of a our and the lock may be lilted in substantially a vertical line. lllovveverl in the present ease, 'wherein the coupler has an exaggerated over-hang, any lock lifting mechanism kapplied to the end sill of a ear will operate the lock al a decided disadvantage due to the angle at which the littingl torce 1s applied. This has been overcome to a Certain elxtent by the employment of a long lever arm attached to the transverse operatingl rodpthc lever arm entendingto a point substantially over the coupler head. This long arida however, is univieldly, lie-A conies bent and broken very easily and is generally unsatisfactory.

lher'elfore, one ot' the principal oliiects of my invention to provide a loci operating mechanism hy 'which the lull power ot the transwn'sc operating); shaft may be applied to liftthe lock andv throw the knuckle when required.

il further obieet ol my invention is to provide operati"op,l mechanism ot this character so arranged to move freely with the coupler when rounding curves or operating on short angle sidings.

lll further object of my invention .is the provision of an operating mechanism which `will permit the operating handle llo assume ils normal. or lowered position, under Vthe intlnenee et ,grravityu when it' rel Based, in-

i coupler.

dependently of the lifter, and irrespective of Whether theliftcr is in its raised or lowered position. l

Another object of this invention is to provide a mechanism which can be readily sembled and which Will be maintained in operative relation to the coupler, by a single bolt or pin, thereby simplifying the structure and obviatingI the necessity et numerous independent piecesl such as bolts, turnbuckles, ete., which are ordinarily employed.

invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein- Figure l is -i plan view and Fig. 2 is ay side elevation ot' a, pilot coupler having my novel operating mechanism applied thereto.

lt will be understood that my invent-ion is shown applied to a coupler of the dan ney type, having a vertically movable member which may either be a lock or a lifter 'lor a lock. ll'owever.y for the sake ot' elearness, this memlier will be designated as a leek.

llelierring' more particularly to the druivings it will be seen that to the end sill 3 ol a tender or locomotive is secured a casting l having an openingv therein which in vertical dimension Agreater than thc .shank ot the coupler and which in horizontal dimension is flared toward ils month in order to permit swinging or side-wise movement ol the coupler and its short shank. The coupler head o having short shank 53, is mounted within the opening in the casting l, being; held therein by means ol the pivot pin l). The coupler is provided with the usual knuckle i' and lock and knuckle opener 8. flhims l0 are placed in the pocket pivot ln the present instance, these shi-ms perioini a useful function in that when the wheels ol" the locomotive or tender become worn or when the springs become weakened and depressed the coupler may be raised to matching1 position with couplers of standard height by removing one or both o't the shinis l0 and Iiilacingg` them underneath' the shank ot the coupler instead of above, l

rl`he transverse ll is mounted in suitable brackets 'l2 secured to the end sill 3, this shaft havingv operating handles 15%, one at each end el the, cud sill. 'lo the shalt ll is secured a short lever arm llliar-fengV a slotl l5 therein. fi link or connecting rod 16 has one end seated in the slot 15 and the other end'in a slot 17 in a right-angled bell crank lever 18. This bell crank is provided at one end With bearing trunnions 19 which l are adapted for .coperation with a recess 20 in the casting 4:. The other end of the bell crank lever is bifurcated and is connected to the lock 8 by means of a Vpin 21. It Will be noted by reference to Fig. 1 that the trunnions 19 have their .ends rounded v thus permitting lateral movement of the bell crank lever 18 to the extent of the slot above the bearing recess 20. Inassembling this mechanism, the end of the connecting link -16 is inserted into the slot 15 in the lever 14 andthe other end of thelink is inserted through the slot'17 and the bell crank lever 18. The trunnions 19 are then slid into the open-ended bearings, and the other end of the bell crank lever is connected tothe lock l8 by the pin 21. Itwill be evident that the various parts are all held together by the lsingle pin 21, and by simply removing this if the lock is placed in lock-set position that y the operating handle may, by reason of the slots in'the various parts, return to its nor- 'mal 'unexposed "position, also that if the `shims 1 0 are shifted, thus raising the coupler, that theslots in-the lock 8 and bell crank 18 Will permit such elevation Without disar`v ranging the operating mechanism. ',My invention is particularly applicable to-couplers having a large amountof overhang and is not particularly adapted to couplers as applied to freight cars.

' WhileI' have shown and Adescribed a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that various changes inthe construction and minor mechanical ,details may be made Without departing from the spirit ofthe invention or sacrificing any of the material advantages thereof.

WhatIclaimis:, v 1. In a device of the character vvdescribed, the combination of a coupler provided With a lmuckle and aflocking member, a body to which` said coupler is attached, provided vwith a slotted bearing, a bell-crank lever having at one end a bearing member pivotally mounted in said bearing said lever having at its yother end a slotted connection with said locking member and means for operating said bell-crank lever to lift the locking member, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a coupler provided with a knuckle and a locking member, a bodyk to` which said coupler is attached, provided with a plurality of open-ended'slotted bearings, a bell-crank lever pivotally mounted in vsaid bearings, connectlons between said bell-crank lever and the lockingmember, and means for actuating said bell-crank lever`to operate the locking member, substantially as described. Y

'3. In a' device of the character described, in combination, a coupler head, a knuckle and a lock therefor, a supporting member to which said coupler head is connected provided with slotted bearings, a lever having trunnions adapted to rest in said bearings, said trunnions being rounded at their ends 'to permit swinging movement of the lever, and connections between said lever and the said lock, substantially as described.

Y .DMU'NDV P. KINNE.

Witnesses:

L. C. CARLISLE, E. Il. TnorfrNoW. 

